Perfectly Timed Photos That Will Blow Your Mind

Being in the right place at the right time is sometimes all you need to take that one perfect photo. The photos below are the perfect example – they were all taken at a moment that make them seem different from what they really are.

Whether you are amazed, shocked or amused, you can never be indifferent to these photos. Here are some of the best and funniest out there.

Reverse Mermaid

We guess someone really wanted this girl to stop singing.

We’re so used to seeing mermaids with a human upper body and fishy physique beneath the waist – but have you ever stopped to consider what the opposite would look like?

Not as great as a regular mermaid, is it. Terrifying, even. An abomination that goes against the laws of God and man. Indeed, one can only wonder what other horrors hide in the deep… other than that bathing suit, that is.

Floating Board

Is this a Hover Board prototype for from Back to the Future? Or a flying carpet from Aladin’s upcoming live action film?

Nope! It’s just a wooden board with a happily placed shadow of a flag a little closer to the camera.

Still, it’s pretty astounding just how great this optical illusion is.

It’s almost as if the human eye wants to be fooled.

Also, the more we look at this photo, the more things don’t add up. Okay, so her wooden board isn’t floating… but what are those ninjas doing in the background?

So Close

Ouch.

That does not look pleasant at all.

We really hope there’s a life guard standing by, because our cousin Charlie says he has a friend called Josh, whose older brother, Jake, had the exact same thing happen to him and he lost consciousness before he even hit the water and he could have drowned if his friend, Kayleigh, hadn’t held his head above the water until he came to.

True story, we swear – and some really scary stuff.

Cocktail Waterfall

Ok, where do we sign for a cocktail waterfall?

The kid looks so relaxed, and really, who wouldn’t be?

This seems to be the height of luxury – to have your face washed in the cleansing, aromatic lliquids of a well mixed drink while you rest in the safe, comfortable lap of a smartly-dressed woman. If spas don’t start offering this as a service soon – well, we’ll throw a fit, that’s what we’ll do.

Shaken Not Stirred

We would not suggest ever, ever trusting her with a bottle of Champagne or sparkly wine.

Seriously, how do you even accomplish something like that, let alone without trying?

It just doesn’t make any physical sense! This beer-tastrophe rails against the laws of God an man and we just can’t bring ourselves to accept it!

What! Is! This!

The more we look, the angrier we become! This is just… WRONG!

It can’t be true! It’s impossible!!!!

…

Oh, wait. Now that we look at it again, we guess it could happen. ¯_(ツ)_/¯

A Round Faced Girl

You did something didn’t you? Let me guess… You changed your hair?

Could this be a relative of the soccer ball faced goalie?

This kind of reminds us of Spiderman’s Mysterio – the ball-headed supervillian – but more agile, and with many, many more sparkly sequins.

Strong-Headed Woman

They always told her that she was strongminded, so she decided to test that theory.

Since this is a “perfectly timed photos” article, we have to wonder – what happened a moment before this pic was snapped… and what happened a moment after?

Was this an ill-fated handstand? Was she trying to jump, head first, into the water? Or is she really, truly doing a headstand, unassisted? Whatever the case may be, the particular moment in time that this photo captures presents us with a perfectly-poised athlete.

Focused

If you’ve been to a military parade, then you know they usually go something like this:

At first, they’re exciting! Soldiers, uniforms, tanks, trucks!

But as the endless procession continues, things can get a little dull. And if you think that’s true for spectators, it’s doubly true for the soldiers taking part. Imagine marching in close formation all day long, not being able to look left or right, talk to your friends or zone out, even once.

Yawn!

It’s a good thing they didn’t say anything about moving your mouth.

Demonic Dance

We’re not sure exactly how she does what she does – but the fact the photo was taken mid-dance makes her look possessed.

You know what, it’s not just the fact that this is mid-dance; it’s the jet black hair, the red satin gloves, the overcast location and the apparent weightlessness and insane flexibility of the dancer that all add up to something slightly grotesque, unsettling and uncanny, but also intensely, darkly beautiful.

Chilling By the Pool

When it’s hot out, you can cool your head and your feet at the same time. Or you can just dive in.

Okay, so this was clearly set up – but it’s such a great shot that we just had to include it!

We don’t know what we love most about this photo: the casual pose the girl on the left is holding the “head” in, or the expression on the face of the “decapitated” girl.

So simple, but so, so good!

Green Screen

Stay put, we will be back shortly with some new landscape motifs for a perfect camouflage.

In the meantime, marvel at how perfectly matched this girl’s jeans and t-shirt are with the sea and the sky. This photo’s greatness lies in its simplicity: it’s a deceivingly clever concept, but the execution here is so perfectly done that we can’t seem to look away. It’s almost an optical illusion, a perfect storm of all the various elements coming together to form something beautiful.

Smile

This smile didn’t convinced this little girl that dolphins are friendly.

And, we mean, she’s right, isn’t she?

When you’re this young you don’t know these big, grey, hyperintelligent sea predators are supposed to be cute and friendly, and she’s pretty much the perfect size for a dolphin lunch. We’d be freaking out, too!

But also, we’d really love to swim with that dolphin, so we’re torn on this. Where do you come down? Pro dolphin or pro toddler?

That’s Not a Duck

Yeah, okay, that would frighten us too, but that ostrich smile is priceless.

Also – dude. You’re holding bird feed in your hands, you’ve rolled down the window, and you’re wearing an upside down cross on your neck – of course the minions of Satan are going to come for you! What did you expect! This is like Faust, all over again.

The lesson to be learned here, kids, is not to worship the devil. It never turns out well for anyone.

X Marks the Spot

If you’ve ever wondered how to make a human X, now you know and can spell DETOX too!

It really took us a while to understand what was going on in this photo, and once we got it, it took us even longer to fully appreciate it! The placement and positioning is, simply put, perfectly executed. We can’t stop looking, because even after we figured out what’s going on, it’s still quite mond boggling to look at.

Hats off, ladies.

Secret Weapon

They told him “You just stand there and we’ll throw you one.”

Honestly, that’s, like, a super power.

When we saw this photo we tried jumping that high and… well… let’s just say it’s best that you’re looking at this photo and not at photos of us trying to imitate it. It was not pretty, let us tell you.

This skill would come in handy out of the court, too! …although we’re hard pressed to think of scenarios right now. Maybe… high super market shelves?

Play It Cool Guys

Ok, we kinda want to join this gang…

It really does look like this cat is taking a selfie with his dog pals – which, to us, totally makes sense. Of course the cat would be the one working the technology while the dogs stand back and look happy but confused.

The thing about perfectly timed photos is, it’s usually fun to imagine what happened a moment before and a moment after they were taken – but in this case, we just hope the cat’s alright.

Coffee Love

How do you know if you are meant for each other? Just ask your coffee cups!

Some people are simply made for each other. You must have met couples like this one: couples that, even when they make mistakes, manage to turn them into something perfectly complimentary and beautiful, together.

When you’re in love, everything looks like a sign that you’re meant to be together – and this photo manages to convey the feelign beautifully.

Yeah, yeah, we know, we’re romantic old saps.

Giant Lady Attacks

In Salar de Uyuni, the world’s largest salt flat ecosystem, you can take some cool photos and create really good optical illusions.

This is thanks to the area’s extremely flat surface, which extends for miles in every direction, creating a bewildering lack of perspective. This is helped by the area’s low humidity, which means the air remains clear, as do people standing farther away. All of these elements help make the salt planes a popular tourist destination and great photo op spot!

Catch a Plane

Catching a plane just got a new meaning. But seriously, this photo is just amazing. As we say, with a brilliant idea, a little effort and perfect timing, we can get an amazing photo.

Easy.

There’s so much going on in this photo, it really is amazing. First, we have the obvious: a plane flying overhead being “caught” by the photographer.

But then, there’s the fact that this was shot through a puddle’s reflective surface to consider, as well as the fact that this is a selfie!

Handrail or Headrail

Really, though – what are friends for, if not to provide support when you need it most?

This guy looks like he doesn’t mind serving as a prop for his friend while he wallrides!

There’s no way this photo was staged, so we’re glad the photographer who took it was there to capture the moment.

Nothing like good-hearted skater solidarity.

Fish Eye

Can you use these in your next diving adventure?

This senior swimmer seems to be having fun with some of his swimming companions, and it is a great photo – but we think it’s a bit of a missed opprotunity. How great would it have been if this fish eye photo had been taken with a fish eye lens? Now that’s some meta photography for you, right there.

We really wish we knew who this guy is, because he seems like quite a character!

Sport Is Fun

Volleyball vector can be really fun, especially if you are holding a grudge towards someone and you find a perfect way for revenge. “Hey, I was chasing the ball, it was an honest mistake!”

Things like these are exactly why we chose to stay away from team sports and pursue the solitary lives of internet article writers.

We’ll leave physical activity to other, more vengeful people.

Youch, that looks painful! Poor kid. That boy in the striped shirt is clearly a future internet article writer.

Going to Warp

What’s faster, a camera’s shutter or a frog’s leap?

This photo doesn’t really help us answer that question!

The frog’s leap was caught during the shot’s exposure and makes it seem like frog is stretching.

To the sci-fi nerds among us, this is exactly the technique they used to make Star Trek’s Enterprise appear to jump into subspace when it accelerated to warp speeds – but that effect, back in the ’80s, required long hours of painstaking photography with the latest filmmaking equipment available – and all this shot required was a frog and a pocket camera!

Com’on Komondor

Maybe he was going for a Rasta-dreadlock look, but he kind of looks like a really good mop.

This breed of dog is called a Komondor – also known as Hungarian sheepdogs – and has officially been declared a national Hungarian treasure, guarded from modification.

The Komondor’s unique, corded coat has made it an iconic and much-photographed dog. One of the most famous photographs of a Komodor jumping is on the cover of electronic music artist Beck’s album, Odelay.

Football Overload

“When you asked me to go play catch, I was thinking more of a tennis ball!”

Awww, look at this pupper! He wanted the ball so bad!

Bless his heart, he’s got it now, and who knows if he’ll ever not have it again! We’d certainly not want to make this doggo part with his ball!

We’re sorry, we know this is mushy of us, but we just can’t help ourselves when it comes to dogs!

WHO’S A GOOD BOY!

Hat Fish

This fish will go viral before it goes on the plate!

We’re not sure what kind of fish it is – but we’re pretty sure we know what kind of fish it isn’t: it’s not a wimpy fish, by any means, anbd it’s not a small one, either.

Thanks to the fish, we’re also jsut as ignorant of the fisherman’s identity as well. Who is this mysterious, hat-wearing ocean hunter?

And is it just us, or does it look like the fish’s body could be an alien head, with the finds standing in for eyes?

Holding Onto That One

“I’m not going to eat it. I’m saving it for later.”

Pelicans are so weird, right?

Their weird, flexible beaks, that act like a weird cross between a weird aquarium and a weird sack – they’re just.. ugh! WEIRD!

So it’s not a huge surprise that when this photographer pointed their weird camera at this weird bird, they captured something pretty, well.. weird!

In all seriousness, though – this is one heck of a photo.

Frozen Head

No, it is not a picture from the ‘Frozen’ sequel or some new bizzare hairstyle, it’s just a perfect shot for a perfect shot.

What more is there to add?

We’ve all dreamed of taking a friend down with a perfectly placed snowball – and sure, with enough snowball fights, you get the perfect shot in, every once in a while – but to immortalize that shot in the form of a photo, forever? That’s the dream.

Happiness Is a State of Mind

You probably want the phone number of this dog’s pharmacist.

No, screw that – we want THIS DOG!

LOOK

AT

HIM!

He’s so happy to receive his treat! What more could you want in life, other than to know that youv’e made a good boy this happy, so easily?

That’s why we love dogs. So happy, so easy to please, so loving of treats.

There’s really nothing more to say – if you’re not completely overjoyed by this photo, we’re… well. We’re sorry.

A Puuuurfect Obstacle

A brilliant way to stop your cat from messing with the fish tank.

At this point, you must have a realized that we’re not exactly cat people – so you’ll have to excuse us if we think this photo of a kitty getting drenched is probably capturing a pretty well deserved moment.

Still, we’re not mean. While we’re sure the kitty deserved it, we wouldn’t mind towlling it down and letting it dry out with a nice can of tuna and a little catnip.

Hard Enough

If they were only looking – apparently it’s getting harder to keep their interest. Good thing someone was taking photos of the competition, eh?

We wonder how many times this happens in competitions, when something truly amazing goes unnoticed – except by the competitor.

We can only imagine how frustrating that must be… But we guess that’s just a professional hazard athletes have to deal with.